Industry Advisory Panel Statement on Supporting the International Energy Charter

Industry Advisory Panel Statement on Supporting the International Energy Charter

Howard Chase, Chairman of the Industry Advisory Panel

The Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) fully welcomes the outcome of multilateral negotiations conducted in the course of 2014 by more than 80 countries, which resulted in the final text of the International Energy Charter to be adopted on 20 May 2015 in The Hague.

The objective of the International Energy Charter is to facilitate the expansion of the geographic scope of the Energy Charter Treaty and Process and to promote the principles of the Charter on a global basis. This is strongly supported by all sectors of the energy industry as represented by the IAP.

Like policy makers, industry places high value on the availability of competitive and affordable energy, improving energy security, sustainable energy development and maximising efficiency along the energy value chain. For these reasons the Industry Advisory Panel welcomes the International Energy Charter as a means to strengthen the flow of investment and technology in the energy sector.

The IAP is consequently very encouraged that more countries may join the Energy Charter Process by signing the International Energy Charter. We believe that enlargement of the constituency of the Energy Charter and the Energy Charter Treaty can play an important role in supporting the investments needed for a resilient and sustainable global energy system.

The Industry Advisory Panel values the efforts of policy makers to work towards greater international cooperation and implementation of the principles enshrined in the International Energy Charter. We welcome the openness of the Energy Charter Process to industry input and look forward to the Ministerial Meeting on the International Energy Charter in The Hague in May 2015.